Why Is Creating Headlines So Darn Hard?

On one hand, there are tons of writing principles you can use to catch attention, to get people to read, to build connection and to stand out.

On the other hand, the great blog names subject lines you write ultimately have to come from you. They have to stand out because they’re an expression of you and your brand.

The best way to learn how to write a good title for a blog post isn’t to copy other people’s titles. Instead, use other people’s creative blog name titles to learn what works. Then use those same principles to help guide you in writing your own titles.

With that in mind, here are ten blog subject line tips, along with examples to illustrate them.

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Tip #1: Have a Clear Benefit

People should instantly understand why they should read your article just from the title.

Vague and mysterious titles that don’t tell people why they should read are generally a bad idea.

Direct response marketers and newspapers have tested this principle time and again. Shocking titles, newsy titles, curiosity titles and other types of titles that don’t have a benefit in them almost always get lower readership than titles that imply a benefit to the reader.

For example, readers who see this guest post on Boost Blog Traffic will clearly know that they’ll learn how to improve their writing, just by reading the title:

Both Jon Morrow and his guest posters come up with good blog titles each time!

Tip #2: Add a Power Word

A power word is a word that adds emotional punch to your title. Sometimes all you need to turn an otherwise dull title into an eye-catching title is a power word.

Take this article from Adrienne Smith, for example. Without the power word, the title would just be “The Seven Deadly Sins Of A Website” A nice benefit, sure, but nothing to write home about.

But with the power word added in, the title now has some real juice. Most bloggers would have a hard time seeing a title like the one below without clicking on it, even if just out of curiosity.

Tip #3: Use Numbers – And Use Big Ones!

People love numbers. Blog post titles with numbers tend to get more clicks. Why? Because numbers are specific and tell people how much information they’re about to get. It suggests that they’re about to learn several things, and not just one.

Large numbers in particular, suggest that people are about to learn many ways to solve a problem in their lives.

Take our popular post on the “51 Steps To Launching A Hot Blog”. If the title were just “Steps To Launch A Blog,” it’d sound pretty dull. But the title “51 Steps To Launching A Hot Blog” sounds infinitely more interesting.

Tip #4: Boldly Add Your Personality

There are enough “me too” blogs on the web. Why not really let your personality shine on your blog for a change?

People who really let themselves out on their blogs tend to stand out. They tend to draw a crowd.

People will often come to read your posts not because they need to learn what you’re teaching, but simply because they want to get a dose of your personality.

Take “The Middle Finger Project”. Just one glance at the website’s header image and you know you’re in for an interesting read. Every post title on the blog is similarly interesting and attention catching.

Tip #5: Be Controversial

Say something that shocks your audience a little. Say something that gets people a little riled up, or a little defensive. Say something that risks alienating a small part of your audience. Do so while taking a stance on something you believe in.

Take the post below from Firepole Marketing. The title proudly proclaims: “Why You Can’t Create Epic Content Every Single Time And What To Do About It” The premise of the post is to get bloggers to just write a post, instead of getting it perfect.

There were a ton of different ways Danny Iny could have worded his title. He deliberately chose a title that could make people a little defensive. And it works. It catches attention.

Tip #6: Put Relevant Information First

Just like Beth Hayden’s post, the good stuff is in the first part of the title. “Peppy Podcasts For A Winter’s Day” could be shortened to “Peppy Podcasts” and you already know what the post is about.

Tip #9: Use the Right Amount of Jargon

If you use too much jargon, people might have a hard time understanding you. Newbies who’re new to your industry but still fall into your target market could get turned off.

On the other hand, using jargon allows you to speak in the same language as your market. People feel like you’re on the same side. Jargon also often allows you to get more specific than if you had to use generic words.

In this blog post, Danny Brown illustrates it perfectly. To a non-blogger, this headline makes little sense.

Yet it doesn’t use so much jargon as to turn people off. Instead, it makes you feel you are “in the club”.

Tip #10: Give Real World Data

People love getting real-world data. If you’re in the health niche, share your exact meal plans and your before and after photos. If you run a blog about weight loss, share your real case studies and what the results were.

When you give real-world data, people get more of a sense of what it’s like to be you. It also seems more tangible than just tips or lessons extrapolated from your experiences. It also helps build your credibility, by showing people that you’ve actually done what you’re talking about.

For example, in the post below, Matt Woodward shows exactly what he earned in a month and how he earned it:

These ten blog title tips will help you write titles that get people to pay attention, titles that get your audience excited and titles that help you stand out from the noise. Which is your favorite?

38 thoughts on “Why Is Creating Headlines So Darn Hard?”

I think all bloggers could use tips on creating fabulous headlines. I mean, we get a few headlines in our head that appeal to us, but will it appeal to others? If you see it in your Twitter feed, are you likely to click the link to go read it?

You share some fabulous ideas that I'm saving for future reference. First timer to your site and definitely adding to my feed. Thanks for the tips!Bren Lee recently posted Pin it Right The First Time!

While writing a blog post the main thing to do is creating a blog post title which can attract your readers towards it. Having a title which can make people think about your post.

It's always recommended that bloggers should take care that title of their blog post must make it clear about what the post is about. I have seen many bloggers from whose title I never had the idea about their blog post. I mean how can they use the title totally different from their blog post?

I agree with you that the headline needs to attract readers, both in your blog post, your email and in social media. I also put in a keyword for SEO, but I'm testing that this month and will see if it helps.

I use to be SO bad with headlines. I just wrote what I wanted and that was it. I even have a hard time now finding some of my old posts because I didn't put the main subject in the headline. I was such a dummy but I really didn't know any better. I'm not a writer!

It was actually the first part of this year that I started paying more attention to it. I mean I have such a loyal community that they would read my content anyway but new people probably weren't very impressed because my headlines were definitely not standing out.

I remember what Jon Morrow said some time back. Don't reinvent the wheel because there are never going to be "new" things cropping up. It's just a new way to spin an old thing so take the headline and make it your own. Ever since then I have been doing my best to do better. Some I do pretty good on while others are probably still rather questionable.

I appreciate you using Kevin's title as an example. He did a great guest post for me and I agree, great headline too.

They are really the most important part of the content because without them people might not be eager to read it.

It's a pleasure, Adrienne, to have you comment on the blog! Headlines are so tricky – you can try to avoid them, then you don't get as many shares, tweets, opt-ins, etc. It can be very frustrating sometimes, right?

I know we're talking about post names but subject lines are very similar and I just split-tested the following two email subject lines this morning and, after 12 hours, I have the results. I was going to share the open rates but I thought it would be fun to ask which one is better if anyone is game. 🙂 I hope that's alright Sue.

Subject line #1

There's a good chance you're making this SEO mistake and don't even know it

Hi Sue, I have to be honest, I've never been good with headlines like you are (especially when I blog about boring topics) which is why I always keep reading posts like yours.

In a few words, you just caught my eye, and I ended up here 🙂

Just to contribute to the topic, I use buffer to test out different social media headlines/messages. I apply what I learn there to my next posts OR when repurposing content OR resharing past content again. Works wonders 🙂Dennis recently posted The Basics of Content Marketing

Thanks for reading the blog post and stopping by to comment! I LOVE your idea of using a service like Buffer (only $10/month) to test out different messages/headlines in social media. Great idea that I'm going to use!

Really good post here. First off, let me start off by saying, I spend probably 2 – 6 hours trying to come up with headlines for my blog posts. I truly understand the importance of it because if you don't have a headline that captures attention, then NO ONE will read your blog post, your sales letter, etc.

Your tip about using BIG NUMBERS is huge. Too many times there are "7 Ways to do …" or "15 Tips For …". While those are fine, they don't have the same impact as "52 Ways To Do …" or "101 Tips For …" That's just my opinion.

Your tip about being controversial is a good one but at times you have to be careful with it. I remember a post by Neil Patel "Why Successful Entrepreneurs Are DouceBags" or something like that, and it sort of backfired on him and he ended up losing some subscribers from that. But on the flip side, he was able to get some new subscribers from that as well. So controversial blog posts are good, but you just have to be willing to deal with the fall out – if any.

The tip I'm really focusing on, or that I'm trying to, is Negative Headlines. I've tried a few of those and they out-performed the positive ones. So I'm going to try using it a little bit more.

I feel like this post and the headlines post I wrote earlier this week need to hang out together. You seemed to think of every last thing I missed in mine! You're so right about each of these points and I love (and have already read) almost every post you used as an example here. It seems like we have a lot in common!

I made sure to add your blog to my feedly list so I'll be back for more of your awesomeness!

I love, love, LOVE this post. Headlines always have me in a tizz but they can also be an excellent way of setting out the content for an article.

I'm probably a little bit unconventional but I find it sooo much easier to get the copy of a post flowing, once I've got a killer headline. Perhaps it's because it narrows down and focuses my original idea – either way it works.

Sadly headlines can be THE most difficult little critters to nail down, while trying to be as original as possible. I'm going to be trying out some of your suggestions to see if they can help me out!

I totally agree that once you have the headline, the post itself is easier to write. I really like the headline of your last post – it has a question and it builds curiosity – just what are those 15 tools?

Wow Sue, look at all those blogging heavy hitters commenting on your article. Awesome work and great article, will be sharing.

So I have the following problem, I have kind of a non-traditional blog in the sense that my topics are many times a bit less tangible. They're about complimenting yourself, or saying thanks, or helping others. Here are some example titles:

Let's Keep Learning, Have a Great Day!, Be a Leaf, 3 Lessons from the Lake, Get Grounded through Nature, Inspire Yourself, Stay the Course, Can you Help One?, Let's Practice Peace, Rise & Shine, etc.

So I've read a number of articles about headlines, but always feel like my topic is different enough that it makes it a little tricky. I could go the route of naming everything : "5 ways to feel better about yourself", "10 ways to say thanks", etc. I do sometimes use numbers, but if I did that all the time, it would feel very much like click bating, when that's kind of the antithesis of my blog. Do you have any ideas or thoughts?

I don't write generally write things like – how to turn your life around, how to make new friends, etc. It's more like: Cheer up! Have a great day! Be you!

Last 3 entries were titled:

Give it Your All

Let's Keep Learning

and Blessed to Bear Witness (poem)

I actually created my site to be a very nice, relaxing place to go, free from pop ups, side bars, and 10 things screaming for your attention. I'd like to do some redesign as I move to self hosted this month, but I will try to keep it as simple as possible. Easy on the eyes.

I have the comment luv link below or you can go to Quick Me Ups .com (without spaces obviously)

Yoast WordPress SEO lets you add titles and descriptions for Search Engines that are different to the actual blog post title and intro.

I see the benefits if your post title is long and doesn't fit within the Google character limits but I think changing a title completely is misleading. I have no problems with adding a meta description different to your first sentence(s) to instruct Google to use your words and not what it chooses as it often doesn't do this too well.

Well, Blog name and Post title, both depend on your creativity. I will surely use a Power Word with some relevant information for the Post Title, but when it comes to Blog Name or the domain, I will always go for a unique, creative and branded Name, whcih will help me in Long Run.

Writing headlines isn't rocket science , but it sure is a lot of work and practice. A good way to write headlines is to shoot for around 30 of them.

I usually do keyword research on the front end and then use those keywords as "brain food" for ideas.

If you get stuck and really can't figure out what to write, you can always use an idea generator like the one at Portent. (Just Google Portent's Content Idea Generator.)

At the very least it's fun to play around with.

Once you've written 30 or so headlines, go back and highlight the ones that you think are the best fit. I would suggest using a blog title around 60 characters so it can fit into address fields better. This also helps when you want to post to sites like Twitter that only allow 140 characters in their messages.

If you are writing advertising copy, you can make your headline copy and deck copy ad long as necessary. Dan Kennedy once sent me a sales letter where the headline went down half the page.